/R E P E A T -- Media Advisory - The Caribbean is not all sunshine - crime impacting Canadian economy, more attention must be paid/

TORONTO, July 25, 2014 /CNW/ - Canada's national interests in the Caribbean are varied, historic and dynamic. Canadian businesses have major investments in the area, especially in the finance and resource sectors. There is a large Caribbean diaspora in Canada, especially in Toronto, where six per cent of the population is Caribbean in origin. And, Canadian tourism in the region is active and increasing, with the sandy beaches and warm temperatures drawing about three million Canadians to the region every winter. But because interaction is primarily with local citizens who work in hotels and bars, travelers are blind to what lies outside the safety of their vacation paradise: mass amounts of crime.

In light of Carabana Weekend, Toronto's 48th annual summer festival celebrating Caribbean culture and traditions, The School of Public Policy invites media to a press conference where we will release findings of a report on crime in the Caribbean.

The report will look at what kind of crime is occurring in the region, specifically drug trade and money laundering and its impacts on the Canadian economy, including increased crime rates in many Toronto areas. Additionally, it will highlight policies that Canada must reinforce to better curb these trends, including development programming and the creation of a Canada-Caribbean institute. The author stresses that it's time for Canada to step up, not just for the Caribbean's sake, but ours as well.